U.S. lifts sanctions on acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez

WASHINGTON — The U.S. on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, according to an Office of Foreign Assets Control entry on the Treasury Department website.

The newly announced sanctions relief represents a strong signal that the U.S. recognizes Rodríguez as a legitimate authority in Venezuela. Washington has already formally recognized her as the country’s head of state in legal and diplomatic settings.

 Venezuela’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lifted sanctions come as the Trump administration has been engaging with Venezuela’s interim government since the U.S. military captured Rodriguez’s predecessor, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife on Jan. 3 in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.

The pair was taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges, and both have pleaded not guilty.

Maduro is still Venezuela’s president, legally. In the hours after the Jan. 3 operation, the country’s ruling party-loyal high court declared his absence “temporary,” effectively eliminating the need for a speedy election and keeping the protections the office grants him under international law.

The court ordered Rodríguez to take office for up to 90 days with the possibility of extending it to six months if approved by the National Assembly, which is also controlled by the ruling party and presided over by her brother. The 90-day period ends Friday.